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Collections of Ship Models: Help!


Sam Willis

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Hello everyone. My name's Sam Willis - I'm a well-known UK-based historian and I'm currently working on a new and very exciting project to film the world's best ship models with the latest camera tech. The project began with two models at the National Maritime Museum in London. 

 

HMS Royal George - a model made for King George III can be be viewed here and a quick behind the scenes video here of filming the Great Eastern diorama. All of this has been filmed for the UK's Society for Nautical Research and published in the Mariner's Mirror podcast.

 

I'm now ready to take this project further, and to global collections, and I need some help with where to look for remarkable ship models worth filming. 

 

I would be enormously grateful for all ideas and suggestions. I'm keen on any sort of model as long as it looks remarkable; ideally if it has a good story behind it or an interesting vessel. I am not restricted by period and I'm interested in working with both private collections and public.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Sam

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Hi Sam and welcome to MSW.

 

I assume you are in communications with the ship model curator at Preble Hall who I believe is currently Don Pruel.  Their Rogers collection is stunning and on display to the public.  If you are not already speaking with them, they may have what you are looking for.

 

Allan

 

Edited by allanyed

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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Allan beat me to the suggestion about the Rogers Collection.

 

Most maritime nations have at least one national maritime museum with many great models. You've already discovered the NMM. Another that I know off the top of my head from your side of the pond is the Hamburg Maritime Museum. I'm sure our members can suggest many others. If you surf through our scratch builds gallery, you will also find many outstanding models built by MSW members, many of whom are based in Europe. Also, search the site for models built by our member DORIS (that's her username) -- she does scratch builds in paper and card stock that simply have to be seen to be believed. She lives in the Czech Republic and has been featured on TV there.

Chris Coyle
Greer, South Carolina

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.
- Tuco

Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Hawker Hurricane

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Welcome to this forum, Sam. (Your name is not unknown to some of us here!) There are other notable models in other collections as well, including the private Kriegstein collection in the U. S. and the public Art Gallery of Ontario Thomson ship model collection.

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

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Sam,

You've arrived at the internet's best forum for all things ship modeling! As druxey commented here, your work is quite familiar to many members of this forum. In addition to this open thread, our forum has a private messaging feature you might want to periodically check-out.

Welcome!

Ron

Director, Nautical Research Guild

Secretary/Newsletter Editor, Philadelphia Ship Model Society

Former Member/Secretary for the Connecticut Marine Model Society

 

Current Build: Godspeed 2, (Wyoming, 6-masted Schooner)

Completed Builds: HMS Grecian, HMS Sphinx (as HMS CamillaOngakuka Maru, (Higaki Kaisen, It Takes A Village), Le Tigre Privateer, HMS Swan, HMS Godspeed, HMS Ardent, HMS Diana, Russian brig Mercury, Elizabethan Warship Revenge, Xebec Syf'Allah, USF Confederacy, HMS Granado, USS Brig Syren

 

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3 hours ago, Sam Willis said:

Hello everyone. My name's Sam Willis - I'm a well-known UK-based historian and I'm currently working on a new and very exciting project to film the world's best ship models with the latest camera tech. The project began with two models at the National Maritime Museum in London. 

 

HMS Royal George - a model made for King George III can be be viewed here and a quick behind the scenes video here of filming the Great Eastern diorama. All of this has been filmed for the UK's Society for Nautical Research and published in the Mariner's Mirror podcast.

 

I'm now ready to take this project further, and to global collections, and I need some help with where to look for remarkable ship models worth filming. 

 

I would be enormously grateful for all ideas and suggestions. I'm keen on any sort of model as long as it looks remarkable; ideally if it has a good story behind it or an interesting vessel. I am not restricted by period and I'm interested in working with both private collections and public.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Sam

Thanks for the intro and reviews Sam.....I hope you find the material you are looking for...your project sounds amazing.

 

Rob

Current build:

Build log: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25382-glory-of-the-seas-medium-clipper-1869-by-rwiederrich-196

 

 

Finished build:

Build log: of 1/128th Great Republic: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13740-great-republic-by-rwiederrich-four-masted-extreme-clipper-1853/#

 

Current build(On hold):

Build log: 1/96  Donald McKay:http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4522-donald-mckay-medium-clipper-by-rwiederrich-1855/

 

Completed build:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/475-196-cutty-sark-plastic/

The LORD said, "See, I have set (them) aside...with skills of all kinds, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

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Also, a bit closer for you is the Musee National de la Marine in Paris.   I understand it is temporarily closed to the public, but hopefully you can gain access as an independent researcher.   I have not had the opportunity to visit yet so not sure what you will find as it has been closed for various reasons whenever we have been there or we ran out of time.  We will likely be there next spring so I hope to see a report from you

before then.   😀

 

Allan

Edited by allanyed

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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The Science Museum had a model of HMS Prince that may meet your spec -

Edited by Jaager

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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There is the Naval Museum of Madrid, rich in history and models.  Possibly the Santisima Trinidad as a subject.

 

There is also a very large scale model of the Santisima Trinidad, built in 2008, in Havana’s maritime museum at the Castillo de la Real, of course she was built there, as were many of the finest Spanish Ships-of-the-Line, the setting has historic maritime ties for the UK as well.

 

Gary

 

 

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Good Evening Sam;

 

I wish you the best of success with your extended project, and hope to see the results when they are ready.

 

The book by Simon Stephens & Nick Ball, 'Navy Board Ship Models', has a directory near its end which lists the locations of most known models which are constructed in what is known as the 'Navy Board' style, ie with open framing visible, and not fully planked hulls. These models tend to be 17th & early 18th century in date, and the directory lists approximately 30 different collections, large to small; a few are now in an unknown location, following sale at auction, but most are still accessible. The collections listed frequently also comprise other models of later date in the 'Georgian' style, where the hulls are planked. Some of the collections have been mentioned above, but some are quite obscure; with a range of others in between. 

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

Previously built models (long ago, aged 18-25ish) POB construction. 32 gun frigate, scratch-built sailing model, Underhill plans.

2 masted topsail schooner, Underhill plans.

 

Started at around that time, but unfinished: 74 gun ship 'Bellona' NMM plans. POB 

 

On the drawing board: POF model of Royal Caroline 1749, part-planked with interior details. My own plans, based on Admiralty draughts and archival research.

 

Always on the go: Research into Royal Navy sailing warship design, construction and use, from Tudor times to 1790. 

 

Member of NRG, SNR, NRS, SMS

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If you'd like to expand beyond Euro-American horizons, I'd personally suggest the Museo Marítimo Nacional in Valparaíso, Chile, which has a broad collection of maritime models relevant to historic and modern Chilean history.

 

Overall, if you're looking for private models, a good place to start would be to browse the galleries and scratchbuild threads here at MSW as there's some obscure and fascinating stuff in there.

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Goodness, Sam - so many options!  In addition to those mentioned above, there are also smaller and less well known venues that have some wonderful examples. In the New England area if the USA we have Mystic Seaport in Connecticut that had some nice models - contemporary, for the most part. The Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts has a good mix of whaling related models I have been told (need to get down there some day).  At the gateway to Downeast you will find the Penobscot Bay Maritime Museum in Searsport, Maine. They have some nice models though many need conservation. Will find Bluejacket Model Ships just a few hundred meters up the road, where some beautiful modern models are (or at least used to be) on display.  If'n you make it way Downeast I'll treat to a lobstah feed after you visit the Tide's Institute to view the small collection there (focus on Eastport shipbuilders and the sardine fishery).

 

Wow - you could have a really fun trip through the Northeast!

Wayne

Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.
Epictetus

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Are you going for stunning models with lots of details, or for interesting models?

 

There are also some relatively old, not so stunning, but nonetheless interesting models around.

For instance the so-called Mataro-model in the Rotterdam Maritime Museum, a model dating back to the time of Columbus, but not a large, or very well build model. 

 

Jan

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With regards to what Druxey has said check out this link to the Royal George in their collection. If there's a finer example of the model makers art I have yet to see it. It's also at an unusual scale of 3/16. Check out the figurehead in the second photo on the site. They can also be downloaded in hi resolution.

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/38550/100gun-ship-of-the-line

 

 

 

Edited by dvm27

Greg

website
Admiralty Models

moderator Echo Cross-section build
Admiralty Models Cross-section Build

Finished build
Pegasus, 1776, cross-section

Current build
Speedwell, 1752

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Welcome Sam. You might consider to go ta Amsterdam, relatively close to you and easy transportation. Scheepvaartmuseum is a must to see there, featuring many excellent models there.

Also, i've been in Lannan Model Ship Gallery in Boston where i saw (actually touch too) any of biggest model in my life. The owner Larry Lannan is a very friendly gentleman. 

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With respect to Amsterdam: since the 'refit' a couple of years ago, the amount of models in their main exposition is relatively small.

The other models are not on display on a regular basis, but are only out of the storage rooms if they can be used as an 'illustration' in the temporary displays. (The same also holds for the Rotterdam Maritime museum). In case you want to see, or even photograph, a specific model: you should contact them before hopping on a train.

 

Actually, when in Amsterdam, If I were you, I would not skip the maritime department of the Rijksmuseum: both Prins Willem and William Rex are worth the additional mile.

 

Jan  

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If Sam visits with Don at Annapolis...

The last time I was there he had Donald McNarry's 16'/in model of the USS Constitution as originally built, in his office downstairs. It is

the full hull, static version, and  not on display. It is on of the most spectacular miniatures I have ever seen.

Drown you may, but go you must and your reward shall be a man's pay or a hero's grave

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The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is wonderful also.

 

https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca

Bob Garcia

"Measure once, cuss twice!"

 

Current Builds: 

Hms Brig-Sloop Flirt 1782 - Vanguard Models

Pen Duick - Artesania Latina 1:28

 

Completed: Medway Longboat 1742 - Syren Ship Model Co. 

Member of the Nautical Research Guild

 

 

 

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A number of years ago there was a shop note type article in the Nautical Research Journal about modeling the engine for Admiral Nimitz’s officer’s motor boat.  The article’s author was producing engine parts that  included detail down to cast trademark logos. All of this was pre-3d printing and CDC machining. Unfortunately, there were no pictures of the actual model.  

 

At the 2015 NRG Conference at Annapolis Don Pruel told me that the finished model had been donated to the Naval Academy’s collection but was not on display.  If the engine is any indication of the quality of the finished model, this would be a must see.

 

Roger

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I am glad Sam started this thread as it is benefitting a lot of us even if he has not followed up on any of these great responses himself.

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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